How Our Bodies React to Massage
You have probably heard that massage helps with pain relief, muscle recovery, sports performance, and stress reduction. Maybe you have already experienced the benefits of massage, or maybe you’re curious about if massage can help you feel better. You wouldn’t be alone! According to the AMTA’s (American Massage Therapy Association) 2018 Consumer Survey, 19% of Americans (62.2 million individuals) received massage at least once between July 2017 and July 2018. 62% of those Americans (38.5 million individuals) received massage for medical or health reasons like pain management, injury rehabilitation, or overall wellness. So why is it that so many people turn to massage. What is happening in our bodies that makes them actually feel better after a massage?
Firstly, studies have shown that massage - also known technically as “manual therapy” or “mechanical stimulation” - stimulates the healing and regeneration process in muscle tissue. In an article by Kat J. McAlpine in The Harvard Gazette, she states that “muscle regeneration through mechanical stimulation may one day replace or enhance-drug and cell-based regenerative treatments…In humans, up to half of body mass is made up of skeletal muscle, which plays a key role in locomotion, posture, and breathing. Although skeletal muscles can overcome minor tears and bruising without intervention, major injuries commonly caused by motor vehicle accidents, other traumas, or nerve damage can lead to extensive scarring, fibrous tissue, and loss of muscle function….The direct stimulation of muscle tissue increases the transport of oxygen, nutrients, fluids, and waste removal from the site of the injury, which are all vital components of muscle health and repair.” By improving the body’s ability to remove waste from the muscle tissue, it allows for faster and more effective recovery. The increase in blood flow (increased oxygen and nutrients) further boosts the performance of the muscles. This is why so many athletes and active individuals turn to massage to ensure their at peak performance.
I have been practicing massage for a decade now and have seen an increase of doctors recommending massage therapy to their clients for pain management, rather than turning to pharmaceuticals right away or planning on the drugs being a long term solution. David Mooney, a Harvard engineer, stated that “chemistry tends to dominate the way we think about medicine, but it has become clear that physical and mechanical factors play very critical roles in regulating biology…The results of our new study demonstrate how direct physical and mechanical intervention can impact biological processes and can potentially be exploited to improve clinical outcomes.” This means that massage can actually play a positive role in the opioid addiction crisis by giving patients an alternative for their pain relief and management.
Massage has also been shown to be incredibly beneficial in receiving stress levels and elevating mood. In a study reported by NCBI, significant decreases were noted in cortisol levels (averaging decreases 31%) in clients who received massage. Cortisol is a hormone released during stress. In the same study, serotonin and dopamine, also known as “feel good” hormones, increased in response to massage. An average increase of 28% was noted for serotonin and an average increase of 31% was noted for dopamine. These studies combined suggest the stress-alleviating effects (decreased cortisol) and the mood-enhancing effects (increased serotonin and dopamine) of massage therapy on a variety of medical conditions and stressful experiences.
If you are interested in making massage a part of your wellness routine or curious about if it could help you, please don’t hesitate to reach out. ZenLife Concierge Massage provides mobile massage services to Pensacola, Pace, Navarre, and surrounding areas, Monday-Saturday by appointment.
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